Saturday morning and its an early start – heading to Otovalo market in the northwest which is 3 and a half hours away. I hope to buy some presents for people, specifically some Alpaca products. Today 2 Jamaican ladies join me who were lovely.
So off we go – we quickly stop at a fruit stand to try a local fruit – I would probably butcher it so I won’t try, it was interesting though
First stop was the center of the world. The real one not the tourist one in Quito. It has seals on the equator by the US Military and Ecuadorian military. The reason that Ecuador (middle of the world) is the best place for experiments at the ecuador is because it has lots of reference points using the mountains vs the jungles of Brazil, Columbia and Gabon. It was $3 to enter but well worth it. I didn’t buy the DVD etc because I know it will sit on the side – it was fascinating to discuss the different star patterns.
Its a giant sundial! 
How the map really should be as the world rotates this way 
Funny sign for the men‘s WC 
Me in both Hemispheres at once 
Under the tales are the seals from the military 
We stopped at a restaurant/cafe/tourist shop – there was a little Ecuadorian mountain band playing. It was interesting to learn that most bands of traditional music are actually families and its passed down generation to generation.
The view form the restaurant was amazing of San Pedro lake and the near volcano. Quito is surrounded by 5 volcanoes and the views are amazing of the Andes.
I did meet some friends but its a dollar to the child to have a picture taken with them and to be honest the people I love probably care more about the llama (pronounced Yama)
Otavalo Market is an indigenous market filled with many mountain people in traditional dress, you can often tell in the country where someone is from by their clothes. There is a variety of things on offer. We shopped for 2 hours. I personally purchased some chocolate, a stone llama statue, a small owl made from a gourd (owls protect your dreams), a piece of local art and a piece of clothing. Unfortunately there was no 100% alpaca items. You do have to watch out for China/Indian goods now.
Local herbs and spices 
Shucking Beetles which are caught at nights flying and then fried in the market stalls. I didn’t see any cooked to buy 
2 dogs which weren’t strays I met. They had collars, the front tried to snap at my hand. Apparently the other one is friendly 
Random buckets of chicken in the street 
Traditional shoes 
Traditional dress, this is common not just tourist, lots of people shopping in them 
Tea de Cacao 
Coconuts!
I am not sure when I’ll have the bandwidth to upload the videos.
Now it was off to lunch in Cotacachi. I had wanted the guinea pig (Cuy) but it was $18 and still had its paws and head so went with the other traditional potato soup and carne colorada
Cotachaci is a lovely little leather making town it is very picturesque. Of course I have no desire for leather but still enjoyed seeing the town. There were several other Gringo’s there (if you aren’t South American you are pretty much a Gringo and some South Americans are also Gringo’s).
I put this dog in for Bethany, as there were water pans chained to the fence, I think its well loved
I did find it interesting that they had properties for sale in English. When I showed it to my House mother she was like NO, muy carro (very expensive). In the center of Quito they have apartments like mine which are 150k, a property in that town should be about 65k for a nice casa.
This is the one which had la familia screaming loco
So off I went back to Quito for the 3 hour drive back – a stop and a cup of chocolate on the way back. Ecuadorians take their cups of chocolate seriously. Every place has them. I respect that.
I get back to my casa to find the family already eating dinner (they’d called my guide and I was ok with this). It was crab. Huge crabs and the amount of sucking and slurping was phenomenal. They really enjoyed it. I stuck with the soup. Can’t do crab after that food poisoning at Joe’s Crab Shack and then a small plane. I could but…. ugh.
Anyway off to bed.
Oh quick cultural things:
Saw a woman walking along with her breast out feeding a baby. It was discussed with the family that United States people are crazy
Ecuadorians/Quito have 3 or 4 things they do: They hold their arms and shake going Achaohay – Que Frio (Pronounced A CHA CHY)
Arraray – Muy caliente (Very hot) Pronounced AR RA RY
Ayoyay – Dolor (AY AY AY) – it hurts
There is a 4th for smells but don’t have that one written down yet.